Laurel Genzoli, a postdoctoral scholar in the University’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, has been awarded the Hynes Award for New Investigators from the Society for Freshwater Science. One of just two career honors presented by the society this year, the award recognizes Genzoli’s influential research on benthic algal blooms and water quality.
“Even as a graduate student, Laurel demonstrated leadership in freshwater science, with nearly a decade of work on the Klamath River tied to dam removal,” her nomination letter read. “She not only cares deeply about advancing basic scientific understanding, but also about building the capacity of local Tribes to manage their own monitoring efforts, thereby supporting their sovereignty.”
Genzoli’s award-winning paper, , challenged assumptions about harmful algal bloom dynamics by showing that anatoxin produced by the bluish-green cyanobacteria, known for causing taste and odor issues in public water supplies, are widespread across the Klamath watershed and most prevalent in clear, low-nutrient tributaries rather than nutrient-rich mainstem areas. The paper also identified benthic cyanobacterium that inhabits the bottom of lakes and rivers as the primary producer of anatoxins in the region.
Genzoli, who also conducts research as part of the University’s , works with Assistant Professor Joanna Blaszczak, a freshwater ecologist and biogeochemist in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science within the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. Her research explores the drivers and consequences of benthic algal blooms, integrating long-term datasets, ecosystem metabolism methods and field observations to understand how algal growth influences river ecosystems.
“This work redefines our understanding of where and why toxic algal blooms occur,” Blaszczak said. “Laurel’s field-based research and community-rooted approach are essential to addressing water quality issues that affect both ecosystems and the people who rely on them.”
Genzoli has worked in the Klamath River Basin for more than a decade, collaborating with Tribal water quality programs at the Karuk, Quartz Valley and Yurok Tribes. Her projects are developed and guided by local community priorities. She also serves as an advisor for historic dam removals now underway on the Klamath River.
Beyond research, Genzoli has designed and led field courses and international river exchange programs for Indigenous and local youth through the nonprofit Rios to Rivers, where she serves on the board of directors.
At the University, Genzoli contributes to Blaszczak’s National Science Foundation-funded , using ecological modeling to analyze long-term river metabolism data from the Truckee River and conduct ongoing research tied to dam removal in the Klamath Basin.
Genzoli holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the University of Montana, an M.S. in zoology from the University of Wyoming and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Southern Oregon University. She credits her time paddling and exploring rivers of the West as a key influence in shaping her career in freshwater ecology.
